Wait For Me: Swoon Series

by J. H. Croix

  No one would ever come close. Ever. And we hadn’t even had sex, for fuck’s sake.

  I couldn’t let tonight go any further because I had to prove to myself I had some control. Even if it wasn’t much. This rampaging need for her was slipping out of my grasp, and I couldn’t let that happen.

  “No,” I muttered into her hair. “You’re not too inexperienced. That has nothing to do with this. Maybe I’m fucking crazy, but I don’t think it’s right for this to be a one and done thing. You know what I mean?”

  I felt her lean back and forced myself to lift my head even as I knew that looking into her eyes was risky. My heart banged against my ribs. I wanted to stay right here and bury myself in her sweet heat and sleep beside her.

  “I know what one and done means,” she said, catching her bottom lip in her teeth again and nibbling on it, promptly redirecting my blood to my groin.

  As it was, I’d be returning to where I usually stayed upstairs in the offices and have no choice but to take care of matters by myself.

  “Tomorrow night,” I said, knowing I couldn’t offer any further explanation. “I promise.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  To my immense relief, she tied the belt on her robe and stepped out of the bathroom. Turning back to face the mirror, I rinsed the washcloth again and laid it on the side of the tub.

  I took a long look in the mirror. My eyes were dark, my hair messy, and my skin slightly flushed. A man teetering at the threshold of his control stared back at me.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lucas

  I tugged the silencers off my ears, flicking the switch to turn off the miter saw. After setting the silencers down on the table behind me, I leaned against it, snagging a cold bottle of water out of the cooler to one side and lifting my T-shirt to wipe the sweat off my brow.

  Hot or not, we had work to do. Jackson had plans for four additional guest cabins. With the adventure lodge staying busy all the time, Jackson was wisely adjusting to that by expanding the guest lodging bit by bit every year.

  Today, I was working with Wade and Dawson on a cabin. We were laying hardwood flooring, and somehow, I’d ended up on duty for cutting the wood. We needed the miter saw for the angles and corners. Jackson had pulled me aside and asked me to mostly run these projects when he wasn’t around. Dawson and Wade were plenty capable when it came to building, but they weren’t much for the more detailed work.

  Jackson liked things to look good. Among other things in my life besides my first responder work and work as an adventure guide here, I’d worked with a construction company during the summers when I was in college. The money was good, and I didn’t mind the hard work. My father was also a builder, so I’d learned a ton from him.

  In working at Stolen Hearts Lodge, Jackson set the tone. There was no top dog jostling for space bullshit. Everybody had their strengths, and Dawson and Wade were perfectly happy to help me run the show for this kind of project.

  The rhythmic sound of the pneumatic nail gun stopped when Dawson put in the last board for this room downstairs. He straightened, setting the tool on the floor, and turned to stride across the room and lean against the table beside me.

  “Hand me a water, would you?” he asked as he dragged the hem of his T-shirt across his face.

  Snagging a cold bottle, I tossed it to him. He rolled it across his forehead, letting out a sigh. “It’s fucking hot, man,” he offered.

  “Tell me about it.”

  He chuckled just as Wade came down the stairs. “I could use some water too,” Wade said as he crossed the room toward us. When I tossed it to him, it slipped free from his grip, the condensation on the bottle making it slick. Leaning over, he chuckled as he fetched it off the floor. He sank down onto a nearby crate. “Can’t believe it, but we’re ahead of schedule. If we push, we can finish this one before Jackson gets back. What do y’all say?”

  I took a few swallows of the ice-cold water and nodded. “I’m in. I’m here all weekend, so let’s bang this thing out.”

  Dawson looked back and forth between us and rolled his eyes. “You two ever think about fun first?”

  Wade’s gaze met mine with a wink. “Lucas usually doesn’t. I can’t say I ever do.”

  Dawson rolled his head to the side, sliding his gaze to me as a sly grin stretched across his face. “Oh yeah, I think for Valentina he might consider some fun.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek, resisting the urge to tell him to fuck off. I stayed quiet while Wade grinned. “No sense in trying to keep secrets around here. Evie asked me if you two had something going on last night.”

  Although I was in the hot seat at the moment, I didn’t miss Dawson’s too alert gaze when Wade mentioned Evie’s name. Dawson was a player. He was a good guy, but he had a rotating door in his bedroom or, rather, in the bedrooms of women around town.

  I wasn’t much for gossip, but I was plenty observant, and it hadn’t escaped my notice that Evie was in a category of her own when it came to Dawson. Oh, he teased her, and he flirted with her, but the man flirted with everybody. However, his interest seemed a notch higher than usual with her. She also knew how to get under his skin.

  After another swig of water, I noticed two expectant pairs of eyes waiting. “I don’t have a thing going on with Valentina,” I said with a sigh.

  That was a blatant lie, but I damn sure didn’t feel like chatting with anyone about Valentina and me. It felt too private, and I couldn’t even think straight when it came to her. I made no bones about the fact I had no intention of getting serious. All the guys knew Rylie was my priority. All the guys also knew I found ways to get my needs met when the urge got too strong. But those ways were practical, no strings, and certainly didn’t involve anyone I worked with.

  Dawson swung his eyes back to me, his gaze disbelieving. “If you say so. But I know how that girl looks at you, and we sure aren’t blind either. Don’t get me wrong, she is seriously easy on the eyes, so I definitely don’t blame you for looking a little too long.”

  Wade chuckled, and I was relieved he let it drop. I was friends with Dawson, and he was a damn good guy. As much as he teased, he was solid as a rock out on calls as a first responder, though I didn’t have a friendship with him the way I did with Wade. I knew Wade knew my interest in Valentina was more than fleeting.

  Conveniently, Dawson’s phone blared out several sharp buzzes. “Gotta take this, guys. Speaking of women, I have a date tonight.”

  He tossed his now empty bottle of water in the recycling bin in the corner and strode out the open front door. Wade took a long drag of his water before lowering the bottle and holding my gaze. “All right, man, it’s none of my damn business, but I’m just gonna say one thing.”

  “Just one?” I countered, my tone dry.

  In reply, his tone was dry as dead grass. “I know you have priorities. Well, mainly one—Rylie. And I get it, man. She’s your daughter, and her mom is dead. She’s got you, your family, and the rest of us. But this thing with you acting like you are never going to give another woman a chance? It’s fucking stupid, man.”

  I opened my mouth, about to make some bullshit cutting remark about him, but he silenced me with a look. “I’m sure you’re tempted to give me some shit, but save it for another day. I’m trying to be your friend. If something is up with you and Valentina, that’s none of anybody’s damn business. My point isn’t really about her because that’s not what I’m talking about right now. If the right person comes along, Rylie could have another mother. Mothers take every shape and form. She’ll always have Melissa, but Melissa’s gone. You know I was adopted and for the very same reason after my mom died. The only mother I remember is the one I have. And thank fucking God my dad gave her a shot.”

  I wanted to point out that, as far as I knew, his birth mother hadn’t screwed around on his dad behind his back. But that wasn’t his point, and it sure as hell didn’t matter today.

  My throat tightened, an
d I paused to drain the bottle of water, swallowing right through the pain. “I get your point, man,” I finally said. “I guess we’ll just see what happens.”

  Wade looked surprised at my reply.

  I laughed. “I do get your point.”

  He stood, kicking the crate away as he did. “Hot damn, maybe Valentina is the one. It’s going on four. As far as I’m concerned, let’s call it a day since we’re ahead of schedule as it is, and we can start early tomorrow before it gets too hot. You cool with that?” he asked.

  “Absolutely. I’ve had my fill of being hot and sweaty.”

  Hours later, I was once again tortured by Valentina’s presence. Per Jackson’s request, I’d gone over again to take care of the horses. I hoped—even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself—to have a few minutes alone with Valentina.

  No such luck. Evie was there, chattering away the whole time, as she tended to do. Wade stopped over to let me know a load of hay would be delivered tomorrow as well. I went from that little crowd to an even bigger crowd over dinner at the lodge.

  With it being the weekend, Dani was busy managing the restaurant and the evening meals there. As she often did, she managed to throw something together for the staff. No matter what she made, it was delicious. Tonight, she had made a cucumber salad paired with fresh cornbread and macaroni and cheese with ham.

  Whether it was deliberate or not, when I approached the picnic table at the back of the kitchen, Wade scooted over to make room for me beside Valentina. Because that was what I needed—to have her scent drifting up to me, and the feel of her body warm and soft beside mine.

  I didn’t trust myself not to lay a hand on her, no matter how deep the temptation ran. I could feel her thigh brush mine. Of course, when I looked her direction, I had a rather excellent view down the V of her T-shirt. Fuck me.

  Ryan was sharing a story about a kayaking trip earlier that ended with him in the river tugging out two sopping wet college women. He scrubbed his hand in his hair and shook his head. “I swear to God, I get so tired of people not buckling their life jackets. It’s a simple enough thing.”

  Dawson winked. “Ha, wish I’d been in charge of that trip.”

  Evie pursed her lips and cast him a glare. “Is there any situation you don’t take advantage of?”

  “Not that I know of, sweetheart,” he replied with a sly grin.

  Ryan chuckled and paused to take a sip of his beer. Wade interjected, deftly moving the topic onto something else. “So, Evie, are the rumors true about Mack?”

  Evie cast a bright smile at Wade and nodded. “Yup. He’s moving back sometime after this fall. I can’t wait.”

  “I don’t think I’ve met Mack,” Dawson added. “He’s your older brother, right?”

  “He sure is,” Evie replied.

  Valentina paused to sip her wine. “I don’t think I’ve met Mack.”

  “Well, you didn’t go to school with us,” Evie offered. “You were homeschooled, right?”

  Valentina sighed. “Yes. It was kind of lonely. Wish I’d known y’all growing up. The only kids I knew were the ones who went to my parents’ church.”

  I marveled at that detail. Although I didn’t think Valentina was a wild girl, as evidenced by her still virgin state, I imagined it chafed at her to be sheltered like that when her personality was so open and curious.

  Grace Lakes, who only occasionally joined us for dinners, cast a wide-eyed glance at Valentina. “Really?”

  Valentina nodded, brushing a loose curl off her cheek. “It was okay. Life is what it is. Don’t go thinking my parents were too strict. They were in some ways but not in others. They were recovering hippies who fell in love with Jesus and wanted to homeschool me because they didn’t think the public education system was good enough. As it was, I passed all my high school testing exams by the time I was seventeen and went to college early.”

  “Even though I went to public school, my parents were crazy strict. Yours at least sound a little nicer than mine,” Evie commented.

  Valentina shrugged, and just then, Dani poked her head through the swinging doors that led into another section of the kitchen. “Grace, you mind starting a little early tonight? It’s already nuts out there,” she called.

  “Give me a few, and I’ll be right there,” Grace called in return.

  The conversation shifted after that interruption, and as the dinner gathering broke up gradually, Valentina’s nearness continued to torture me. Part of me was tempted to take a rain check. Not because I actually wanted to, but because I thought I was tempting fate in a dangerous way.

  I wanted Valentina way too much.

  As people filtered out, I stood from the table with the pretense of going to the bathroom. Entering the men’s room, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, taking in a gulp of air.

  The subtle flush that crested Valentina’s cheeks lingered in my thoughts. I kept telling myself I could keep this compartmentalized, but I liked Valentina. Too damn much.

  No matter how hard my rational brain tried to tell me this was a bad idea, there was no way in hell I was putting on the brakes tonight.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Valentina

  I was seriously annoyed. When Lucas didn’t reappear from the bathroom, it became obvious he didn’t intend to come back and had slipped out the back, so I decided to head back to my cabin. I’d been lingering and waiting like an idiot.

  When we were close to each other, that hum started up between us as if we were caught in an electrical current of our own making. Yet it was clear to me that Lucas had shifted gears back to the way he used to treat me—quiet and hardly ever looking in my direction.

  I supposed I could be grateful for last night, but most of me was beyond disappointed. Because somehow, I sensed it wasn’t usually so easy. Every touch from him was so decadent, the pleasure cresting so high, I felt as if I’d been floating in the aftermath.

  Slipping out the door, I stepped into the warm, humid evening and cut across the stretch of lawn behind the lodge into the trees to the path that led to my cabin. Twilight was falling, stealing the day for the night. The last lingering rays of the hot summer sun faded to a white gold above the mountains, that famous blue gaze barely shimmering in the smudgy sky.

  I loved how the sky faded from violet to blue over the mountains at dusk. It seemed magical. I walked up the small rise in the trees, and I could hear a nearby stream bubbling. It was just warm enough that my skin was damp. Twisting a bracelet on my wrist, I took several deep breaths. I didn’t like the way I felt—rejected.

  My heart stung a little. Like a tiny cut across the surface, just enough to make me wonder if maybe I wanted a bit more from Lucas in ways I hadn’t allowed myself to consider. No matter. I needed to forget about him.

  Angling through the trees, I paused beside an opening, gazing at the moon over a mountain ridge in the distance. It was nothing more than a curved slice of light in the sky. An owl called in the trees, and I heard the heavy sound of its wings in the air as it flew by.

  Turning, I picked my way along the path in the darkness. Moments later, I looked ahead toward my cabin, and my breath caught in my throat. My pulse immediately lunged, and I stopped so abruptly I was surprised my feet didn’t actually skid on the pine needles.

  Lucas stood on my porch with a shoulder leaning against one of the supports. On the small porch, he was a strong presence in the darkness. He was looking off to the side and turned when a startled squeak escaped me.

  My heart felt as if a kite had tugged it hard, yanking it upward and leaving me breathless. I watched as Lucas stepped off the porch, walking toward me. I felt as if I were being pulled by a string, my feet just started moving until I stopped right in front of him.

  “I thought you broke your promise,” I said.

  I hadn’t even considered my words, but I’d been thinking I wished he hadn’t promised me anything.

  Lucas’s eyes widened. “Jesus, Valentina. I had no idea
where the hell you went. You had me worried.”

  I stared up at him, sensing he was legitimately worried. “Where would I go?”

  His brows hitched up. “Well, I came out of the bathroom, and you were gone. I figured I could catch up to you in a hot second, but you weren’t on the path. Did you go somewhere else before you came back here?”

  “I just cut over to the view there on the hill, right through the trees,” I explained, gesturing vaguely in the direction. I was spinning inside, secretly thrilled he’d been worried.

  “How about not scaring me like that again?”

  Annoyance flashed inside. “Scaring you? You hardly talked to me at dinner and wouldn’t even look at me. Plus, it’s maybe two minutes through the trees. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

  “Okay, let’s start with that,” he returned. “It’s dark, and we’re in the woods, right at the edge of a big ole chunk of wilderness. There are plenty of snakes around for you to step on, you might come across a bear or …”

  I burst out laughing. Because it was that ridiculous. “Oh, my God! You have got to be kidding me. I am perfectly fine, Lucas. Now that you can see that with your very own eyes, why don’t you tell me why you wouldn’t even look at me at dinner?” I asked, resting a hand on my hip.

  He leaned his head back, his shoulders rising and falling with a deep breath. When he leveled his gaze with mine again, my skin prickled all over. My nipples tightened, my sex clenched, and my belly executed a little flip.

  Oh. My.

  “Valentina, I was not purposely ignoring you. I was trying to keep myself in check. In case you missed the memo, you’re fucking gorgeous, the kind of gorgeous that makes men a little crazy. Me, in particular.”